@Raikou: Xander and Silas both toss a pair of feathers into the air and they begin to levitate as Tarith and his rogues begin working on the door and you call on the your own powers of the arcane and catch up with them several feet above the bloodied tavern floor.

Silas smiles as he hands you Johann's wand.

"You are spent, as are we, but you might be of more use with this than Xander and I at this point. The fight against Barbegazi has left me hanging by a thread when it comes to sheer blasting power and the few spells I have are tactical.

Xander looks down at Tarith and adjusts his glasses.

"Same here. That jaebrin stole my most powerful spells to use against Johann and the others, but we cannot simply stand by the sidelines.""

@Alizarin: Xander flies out of the inn and Silas listens to your question as he sighs and looks at the open road, covered in frost.

"We have very little arcane power remaining, Alizarin. Truth be told, I am very much dry when it comes to spells, however...""

Silas looks down at Cecile, who has placed the cradle down on the floor as she helps quickly rebuild the broken door.

"... to stay here and wait for that rider or whoever else comes and watch by the sidelines is even worse.

This isn't the first time that Justcrown has been in danger, you know.

Sinister organizations have attempted to thwart peace in this duchy. A power hungry hextorite once tried to seize the town as well.

Undead have crawled from those frozen woods a year ago.

And I have been literally turned to dust. And yet, I am willing to defend my home. Just like I am sure you would yours. I will tell you again, what Xander mentioned earlier: You need not come.

Will we accomplish something? I do not think so. But if we can at least delay Gan Ceann and let others strike him down, then at least I can go to the Great Library, knowing that those that cannot defend themselves here were not left unprotected."

And with those words, the spent mage flies out the inn and takes to the frozen skies.


@Eneas: With new and old friends to help against this galloping menace, you sprint down the frozen dark streets of Justcrown, your body like a steel wall against the shards of ice and frost that form around your face, hair and chest.

The silent blue and black buildings watch with blackened windows as you dart past them. Light is very dim here as the wind howls in your ear, almost mocking your attempts at any kind of defense against an enemy that has been sent with the express purpose of eliminating all of you.

There is an old meaning for such a foe, learnt once by chance out at sea:

A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided.

That was taught to you by a cleric of Cuthbert, who happened to be sailing that day towards the Vinessian Archipelago aboard your ship.

But what was the name of the word? And damn be him and his teachings:

You don't deserve a punishment. On the contrary, you are punishing those that have committed atrocities towards this town, the woods and who knows what else.

And you will not fall for this Rider. Never again.

Although you cannot see the duke's palazzo, you can see the massive frozen gate with the emblem of a Hippogriff emblazoned in frozen bronze on the center and a massive chain and padlock wrapped around it.

A small wooden kiosk has been built outside and is boarded up shut, except for a small window, big enough for someone to look in or out.

Not the most defensive of places, but big enough to harbor a couple of people.

Nearly breaking the window as you yell inside and wake up the two guards, who had been sleeping back to back and sharing a pelt to protect themselves from the frost, you issue orders from Sister Rosalind and it takes them a few seconds to process all the information as they look at each other and play rock, paper scissors to see who is to leave the comfort of such a small house hole and open the massive gate for you.

It's one of them that nearly freezes over as he hoards the entire pelt and wraps himself in it as he fumbles with a large key and with a grunt, opens the padlock and asks you to push the gate inwards as ice falls at your feet and on your head as he points to the l;eft of a large frozen garden and small private forest filled with poplar trees, all bereft of leaves due to this freak weather.

And it is a modest two story house on a small white hill that opens its doors to you as Aenar welcomes you inside and listens to your tale as he grabs a cloak and doesn't even bother to put on his armor, taking only his thick night PJ's, boots, his mace and his ever present holy symbol around his neck.

"As if a Slaad Lord wasn't enough! Lead the way to the others, Aenar! I have faced that rider in the forest before. The soldiers here will be of no use against him.

But I have fought him before- we can end him if we work together."

@Dante, Johann & Giles: With Baliarth very much dead, the massive troll carries his corpse on his back and tromps by your side down the cold road towards the Cuthbertine Fortress, which has no soldiers guarding the portcullis outside as this one lowers and two people come out, fully geared:



"Inquisitor Levasseur. I thought you had left Justcrown already. And Johann Crawford, Silas' colleague.

We are aware of the creature that rides through the duchy, thanks to Master Spencer. What I would like to know is...""

@Giles: An inquisitor of the Cudgel, can't mistake them.

The dark armor, the cape, that heavy mace. The air of superiority.

And this one, like the other Cuthbertine you are familiar with, has an apprentice. However, unlike the Rat you worked for, hers is anything but lanky:



The inquisitor points her finger at you and the corpse you drag on your large back.

"Are you sure that is the only menace Justcrown faces? And why is it here?"